Three Powerful ‘Gears’ behind Thailand’s Stable Electricity
11 February 2025“Secure and reliable power system” is one of the top factors contributing to a country’s development; but building security relies on three important components, namely power plant, fuel, and transmission system. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is responsible for power system security to provide Thais with sufficient electricity and support the energy transition in the future.
Power Plant: The Never-Resting Force Operating 24/7
As “electricity never sleeps,” power plants cannot rest and must operate 24/7 to support the country’s electricity demands. Presently, EGAT is responsible for a total of 40 EGAT dams and power plants located in all regions nationwide with a total capacity of over 16,000 MW. There are fossil-fuel power plants which use coal and natural gas to generate electricity continuously as the system’s baseload power plants. There are also renewable energy (RE) power plants which use clean energy from natural resources, such as sunlight, wind, and water. RE power plants are supplementary power sources that generate electricity only at certain times due to their intermittency. All of EGAT’s power plants are extremely well maintained for the highest efficiency, leading to quality and security. They place emphasis on preventive maintenance covering all details, including electricity system, machinery, spare parts, civil engineering, and chemicals to guarantee that every second of electricity generation operates smoothly.
Fuel: A Key Factor in Security, Cost, and Environmental Conservation
Choosing the fuel for electricity generation is another important component. All aspects, including economy, environment, energy security, and technology, must be considered. At present, EGAT uses various types of fuel, with ‘natural gas’ as the main fuel, ensuring security and supporting fluctuating RE, which is not 100% reliable. EGAT uses natural gas derived from the gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand, Thai-Malaysia Joint Development Area (JDA-A18), and Myanmar under a long-term gas purchase agreement with PTT to continuously supply sufficient fuel for electricity generation. Moreover, EGAT was the second entity in Thailand to receive a license to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) via ship, which also helps decrease the electricity generation cost. ‘Coal’ is a low-cost fuel which can be supplied domestically and could support the electricity price for the public during an energy crisis. EGAT’s coal-fired Mae Moh Power Plant operates with environmental monitoring and protection measures in all aspects.
Additionally, EGAT searches for new types of clean energy, including ‘green hydrogen’ produced from wind power through electrolysis and ‘blue hydrogen’ produced from coal gasification. In the future, EGAT has plans to combine hydrogen with natural gas as well as develop SMRs, a clean energy power plant that uses uranium as fuel to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity generation sector. If these technologies can be applied quickly, they will help make Thailand’s energy transition more efficient and secure.
Transmission System: The Power Lifeline Distributing Electricity across Thailand
The electricity generated must be distributed to its users in all areas. Currently, every megawatt of electricity is transmitted via EGAT’s high-voltage transmission lines with a length of over 40,000 circuit-km. The transmission lines are connected to the 239 substations nationwide to decrease/increase the voltage level for distribution to the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Provincial Electricity Authority before being supplied to people’s households, businesses, industries, etc., throughout the country.
EGAT also has plans for transmission system development, including the improvement and extension of the system to support economic growth. The transmission system is maintained to ensure security and coverage across all areas, while incorporating modern technology (Grid Modernization) to prepare the power system for the transition from fossil fuels to RE. This includes the establishment of the Renewable Energy Forecast Center (REFC) and Demand Response Control Center (DRCC) to forecast electricity generation from RE power plants and manage electricity consumption. The data generated is used by the National Control Center (NCC) for planning and management according to international standards, resulting in investor confidence and economic stability.
The Power of Balance
The three components are the driving forces behind the security of Thailand’s power system. It is a challenging mission that EGAT is committed to, ensuring continuous and sufficient electricity for Thais and smoothly advancing the transition toward clean energy so that Thailand could achieve Carbon Neutrality and Net Zero Emissions, along with energy security and sustainability.